By Tom Donelson (BWAA)

Author, Member of Boxing Writers Association of America

Our mutual friend Rusty Rubin (R.I.P) Ring Sports Magazine was instrumental in connecting Tom to dmboxing.com back in 2008 and his expertise is much appreciated by all – thank you!

The welterweight is where the action is as the division is filled with great fighters who are very even in talent.  Keith Thurman beat Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia in close bouts while Porter also lost another close decision to Kell Brook who lost to undefeated Errol Spence.  Spence most recent pasting of Lament Peterson showed that Spence may be the best of the Welterweights but you can’t forget Terrance Crawford who is moving up after cleaning out the junior welterweights.

Danny Garcia got himself back into the discussion with his one punch knock out of Brandon Rios in the ninth round of their fight last Saturday.  The first six round were close but beginning in the seventh round, Garcia started to separate himself with sharp combinations. His right hand knock out was a thing of beauty as Rios went down.  While Rios struggled to beat the count, there was no doubt that he couldn’t no longer continue as he wobbled toward the referee on unstable legs. Garcia is now back in the hunt for a share of the Welterweight division.

Crawford is a great boxer with power at the junior welterweight as he left the 140 pound division with a knockout of previously undefeated Julius Indongo. What we have right now three undefeated fighters in Keith Thurman, Errol Spence and Crawford.  Thurman has been out for a year with injuries and is scheduled to fight in May but watching Spence fight both Brook and Peterson convinces me that he is the best welterweight but we will find out over the next year as Spence will eventually fight Thurman and maybe Crawford.  This is contingent on Crawford getting pass Jeff Horn, another undefeated welterweight whose biggest victory was a close controversial decision over Manny Pacquiao.  Horn showed himself to be a tough fighter, fighting in front of his home crowd but will he be good enough to beat a great fighter at his peak?

Crawford is the wild card since he can box with power.  He marched through both the lightweight and junior welterweight and now he brings that skill to the welterweight division.  The question is whether he keeps his power at the welterweight and how his boxing skill translate against boxers who may even be equally skilled.

Thurman is a good boxer with quick hands and power, Spence is a technician who can slug and Danny Garcia is similar to Spence in that he is a slick boxer with enough power to knock out people.  Garcia is threat to the other three and begins his own path to fighting one of these three fighters when he challenges Horn.

Welterweight is a great division with solid fighters, fighters who may be close in ability which means great fights for boxing fans. Fighters like former champs Porter and Garcia who are capable of winning back their titles from the present title holders and Spence, Thurman, and Horn now ready to fight the very best to unify the Welterweight division.